Key Terms
Rhetorical Devices
- glittering generalities: vague or abstract positive terms to build affiliation with an audience. Along with name-calling words, glittering generalities belong to a list of seven propaganda techniques identified by the Institute for Propaganda Analysis. Newt Gingrich popularized the use of these positive and negative terms for promoting Republican causes. Wikipedia article
- name-calling words: terms with negative connotations, used to separate an audience from an opponentWikipedia article
- pattern of opposition: a division of ideologies, usually “us versus them” but sometimes “you versus them” or “them versus them”
Logical Fallacies